There are a number of reasons the Bowersock Gallery owners opened their second fine art business in Mount Dora; location, location and appreciation.
Co owners Steve Bowersock and Michael Senger used the same criteria for the second gallery as their first in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The new area needed to have a demonstrated appreciation for fine art, one with longevity, and a name that drew those with a real interest.
“We started driving down the east coast from New England stopping at a number of cities that we’d researched. We were fairly sure it would be one of the two towns in Georgia we’d heard so much about,” says Senger. “But once we saw Mount Dora everything changed. It was just what we were looking for.”
The location and actual building were impressive. Even during the investigative stage the community showed them what “southern hospitality” was all about. But final clincher was the Lakes Region’s historical interest and respect for art.
“We felt welcome from the start,” says Bowersock. “It was also clear that this community had appreciation for fine art, not just historically, but currently and likely for the foreseeable future. That’s what attracted us to Provincetown, Mass. and now to the Lakes Region of Florida.”
A personal bonus was Senger’s family lived close by in Tavares.
The Bowersock Gallery had a soft opening in September. The Grand Opening and Art Exhibtion is January 6, 6 to 8 p.m., and will feature “Recounting Narratives,” a show featuring Meghan Howland, with small works by Cindy Rizza, “New England’s brightest rising stars.” Howland will attend the event.
The Grand Opening will feature a Ribbon Cutting at Bowersock and three neighboring businesses, “sort of a block party,” and unveil the block’s Mount Dora version of the “Painted Ladies;” colorful building exteriors.
The Gallery represents nearly 30, mature and emerging renowned Northeast artist, painters and sculptors, from a broad span of genres. Most are located in the art-rich New Hampshire/Maine seacoast area, where Bowersock studied for sometime. During those years Bowersock cultivated relationships within the art community.
“The incredible quality and individual styles made the area ‘easy pickin’s for a top-quality gallery. So when we launched our first, we decided to focus on this historical art hub,” says Bowersock. “Many of our artists have earned recognition and awards, or been the subject of regional and national level publications for their accomplishment. The larger percent of them have taught or still teach.”
Senger and Bowersock look for artists with a mastery of medium, but also, importantly, an “individual eye,” something larger than the immediate image that will continue to intrigue the viewer.
Senger starts listing the stable artist’s accomplishments: Lisa Grey is a national authority in the textile/paint arts and Stan Moeller is a multi award-winning painter, with national attention. Florida’s own Carol Roll was featured in a national publication. Sculptor Christopher Gowell has been awarded a number of major public installation projects; Dustan Knight is credited with discovering the large, “juicy” watercolor style. Both the work of Michael Palmer, a Maine and Key West painter and William Thomson of New England, have works in international and US museums' and university, established/celebrity private collections. Other artists have excelled in their fields, while the select, emerging artists are already making waves.
“And the list goes on. But, really - it comes down to the final piece, regardless of the acknowledgements. The skill, and individual style needs to be there, and that’s what each and every one of our artists demonstrates,” says Bowersock. “We have an embarrassment of riches to share with the community.”
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